This book analyzes the complex causes and effects of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks both domestically and internationally, and examines the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The first decade of the 21st century witnessed a watershed of political, economic, diplomatic, and military change as a direct result of the events of September 11, 2001. Through narrative chapters, a chronology of events, biographical sketches of principal players, and annotated primary documents, author Tom Lansford documents the domestic impact of the terrorist attacks that stunned the world as well as the subsequent "war on terror" and the invasions and occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq. 9/11 and the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq: A Chronology and Reference Guide explores the origins and aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in both the domestic and international contexts. It addresses the rise of global terrorism and the concurrent histories of Afghanistan, Iraq, and the broader Middle East, as well as the interaction of the United States with the region. Events, trends, groups, and individual players are examined as part of the broader historical context, allowing readers to see the connections between these various elements. Provides insightful quotes from contemporary figures and primary documents ranging from Osama bin Laden's 1998 fatwa against the United States to the 2006 Iraq Study Group Report Contains 12 biographies ranging from Osama bin Laden to George W. Bush that provide detailed background on important figures from the era Presents a chronology of events from the 1970s to the present day, including occurrences leading to the September 11, 2001, attacks and the Iraq War Includes a select bibliography of major works on the September 11, 2001, attacks; the war in Iraq; homeland security; and the war on terror Contains a detailed glossary of key terms such as "Shiite" and "weapons of mass destruction"

On reserve in the Uni library.

Almost ten years before Osama bin Laden was killed, the United States had the opportunity of a decade to decapitate the organization that so ruthlessly enacted the deadliest foreign attack on American soil in the nation's history. Battles raged across Afghanistan in the 102 days following September 11, from Mazar-i-Sharif to Kabul to Tora Bora. Yet bin Laden escaped while al Qaeda and the Taliban endured the initial onslaught. In 102 Days of War, Yaniv Barzilai takes the reader from meetings in the White House to the most sensitive operations in Afghanistan to explain how America's enemies survived 2001. Using a broad array of sources, including interviews with top-level U.S. officials at every level of the war effort, Barzilai concludes that the failure to kill bin Laden and destroy al Qaeda at the Battle of Tora Bora was not only the result of a failure in tactics but, more importantly, the product of failures in policy and leadership. 102 Days of War provides novel information and a new level of understanding about the opening campaign of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. Informed citizens and military historians alike will find compelling this vivid and relevant narrative.

On hold in Uni library

The #1 New York Times bestselling investigative story of how three successive presidents and their military commanders deceived the public year after year about America's longest war, foreshadowing the Taliban's recapture of Afghanistan, by Washington Post reporter and three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Craig Whitlock. Unlike the wars in Vietnam and Iraq, the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 had near-unanimous public support. At first, the goals were straightforward and clear: defeat al-Qaeda and prevent a repeat of 9/11. Yet soon after the United States and its allies removed the Taliban from power, the mission veered off course and US officials lost sight of their original objectives. Distracted by the war in Iraq, the US military become mired in an unwinnable guerrilla conflict in a country it did not understand. But no president wanted to admit failure, especially in a war that began as a just cause. [...]

Available from public libraries, as eBook or physical copy.